The present invention relates to a writing device for practice in writing characters with reference to a character model.
Young children usually obtain practice in writing characters by repeatedly writing characters on a paper with a pen or pencil with reference to a character model. Particularly in initial stage, the practice is enjoyably performed by easily depicting a character model on a paper with ink stamps respectively having a mark of a character model, or by using a character drill book in which a character model is represented by a dotted line and tracing the character model with a pen or pencil.
Meanwhile, there is known a magnetically writable and erasable writing device. In this device, a microcapsule magnetic sheet is used as a writing sheet so that characters and figures can be freely written on the writing sheet with a magnetic pen having an end made of magnetic material, and the characters and figures written on the top face of the writing sheet can also be erased with an erasing member which has magnetism and is disposed on a back face of the writing sheet.
The theory of the above device will be shortly described as follows. As shown in FIG. 1, in a microcapsule magnetic sheet 10 for use in a writing sheet, microcapsules 11 respectively having about the size of 500 xcexcm in diameter are two-dimensionally arranged between a top sheet 12 and a back sheet 13. A black magnetic powder 14 having magnetism and a white emulsion 15 are enclosed in each microcapsule 11. Thus, when magnets 16, 17 are positioned close to the microcapsule magnet sheet 10, the black magnetic powder 14 in the microcapsule 11 is magnetically attracted so as to present a black color on one side of the microcapsule magnet sheet 10 to which the magnets 16, 17 are closely positioned. In contrast, on the other side of the microcapsule magnet sheet 10, a white color can be presented due to presence of only the white emulsion 15. Applying this theory of magneticphoresis to the magnetically writable and erasable writing device enables black color characters or figures to be freely written on the front sheet 12 with the magnet 16. In addition, when the magnet 17 is positioned close to and moved along the back sheet 13 of the microcapsule magnetic sheet 10, the magnetic powder 14 in the microcapsule 11 is attracted along the track of the magnet 17 toward the back sheet 13, so that the written characters or figures on the front sheet 12 can be erased.
The magnetically writable and erasable writing device is realized by using this theory. An inner mechanism of the device will be shortly described by taking xe2x80x9cRecording Device Using Microcapsule Magnetic Sheetxe2x80x9d described in Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 11-81877 filed by the present applicant as an example. As shown in FIG. 2, on the outside of a recording device 20, there are provided a case 21 which is of a rectangular, generally planar shape and formed in the upper section with a rectangular opening 22. There is also provided a writing sheet 23 comprised of a microcapsule magnetic sheet which is disposed on the case 21 so as to expose a top face of the microcapsule magnetic sheet through the upper opening 22 of the case 21. A magnetic pen 24 is provided and has a magnet on an end of the magnetic pen. The case 21 is provided with an erasing button 25 on the right lower side of the top surface of the case 21. As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, within the recording device 20, there are provided an erasing sheet 26 which is positioned under and in parallel with the writing sheet 23 and which has magnetism, a motor 27, a battery 28, a switch 29, and a driving unit 30 which is connected to the erasing sheet 26 and which is powered by the motor 27. The driving unit 30 includes an eccentric cam mechanism 31 for creating a horizontally parallel movement of the erasing sheet 26, and an interlocking device for creating the movement in which the erasing sheet 26 is gotten close to or get away from the writing sheet 23 in conjunction with the horizontally parallel movement of the erasing sheet 26. The interlocking device comprised of a link mechanism 32 which couples the erasing sheet 26 to the case 21. The link mechanism 32 is swingable in the direction of the parallel movement of the erasing sheet 26. The driving unit 30 drives to reciprocate the erasing sheet 26 with keeping the erasing sheet approximately parallel to the writing sheet 23, from the position (FIG. 4) where the erasing sheet 26 is far enough from the writing sheet 23 so that the magnetic force of the erasing sheet 26 will not erase the written characters and figures on the writing sheet 23, to the position (FIG. 5) where the erasing sheet 26 is close enough to the writing sheet 23 so that the magnetic force of the erasing sheet 26 may erase the characters and figures on the writing sheet 23. When the erasing button 25 is pressed down, the switch 29 is turned on to start supplying an electric power from the batteries 28 to the motor 27, and the erasing sheet 26 is then started to move by the driving unit 30. The switch is kept in ON state until the eccentric cam 31 is gone into a 360-degree rotation by the erasing sheet 26 which is moving, and, that is, the erasing sheet 26 finishes one cycle of reciprocating motion. When the erasing sheet 26 finishes one cycle of reciprocating motion, the switch is turned off to automatically stop the motor 27, and one cycle of erasing motion is now completed. In other word, a learner can erase character or figures written on the writing sheet 23 in a lump simply by pressing the erasing button 25 on the top surface of the case 21.
When repeatedly writing characters on a paper with a pen or pencil with reference to a character model, or depicting a character model on a paper with ink stamps respectively having a mark of character model, or using a character drill book in which a character model is represented by a dotted line and tracing the character model with a pen or pencil, as described above, there are problems that it is required to appropriately supplement consumable supplies, such as a pen and pencil, a paper, a drill book in which a character model is represented by a dotted line, and an ink, and also surroundings, such as hands, a cloth, and a desk and wall, may be stained by the pencil or pen, and the ink of the ink stamp.
Thus, it may be appreciated to apply the aforementioned magnetically writable and erasable writing device, which enables to repeatedly writing any characters and figures and also enables to erase the written characters and figures without consuming writing tools, papers and the like, and without staining hands, clothes and the like, as a writing device for practice in writing characters.
However, heretofore in the practice in writing characters, there has been a problem that it has been necessary to prepare a referential character model in addition to the writing device and to place it in an appropriate position during the practice. Additionally, it has been necessary to store the referential character model not to be lost after the practice. This problem cannot be solved even if the magnetically writable and erasable writing device is applied. Besides, when the magnetically writable and erasable writing device is applied, the conventional ink stamps cannot jointly be used. Even assuming that the conventional ink stamps may be used, an extra space has been needed to store the ink stamps because they are bulky although a necessary stamping face is provided only on one side of each ink stamp, which would cause a problem. Further, when the magnetically writable and readable writing device is applied, if the a character model represented by dotted line similar to the conventional drill book is to be provided on the writing sheet of the writing device, the writing device should be fairly enlarged and otherwise the number of characters should be limited. This will cause another problem.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the aforementioned problems in applying the magnetically writable and readable writing device as a writing device for practice in writing characters, and to provide a writing device for practice in writing characters, in which no supplement of writing tools and the like is required, hands, clothes and the like being free from stain, the burden of preparing and handling of the character model being removed, no extra space being required, embarrass store keeping being removed, the character model being magnetically writable with extremely easy, the practice by tracing the dotted lines of the character model being able to be performed without enlarging the writing device and otherwise limiting the number of the characters.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a writing device for practice in writing characters comprising: a case member provide with an opening in a top surface of the case member wherein a frame section surrounding the opening is formed on the top surface of the case member; a writing sheet which is comprised of a microcapsule magnetic sheet and which is disposed on the case member so as to expose a top face of the writing sheet from the opening of the case member; a magnetic member for writing on the writing sheet; and an erasing member which is positioned under the writing sheet and which has magnetism, wherein putting the magnetic member on the top face of the writing sheet enables writing, moving the erasing member along a back face of the writing sheet enabling the written contents to be erased, the frame section of the top surface of the case member indicating a character model. In one embodiment, a lid member covering all or part of the top surface of the case member may be pivotally attached to the case member wherein a spread surface of the lid member indicates the character model. In another embodiment, the character model may be a table of hiragana, katakana, alphabetical character, or a correspondence table of those.
In other embodiment, the magnetic member may comprise a non-magnetic gripping member, and a stamping face which includes a magnetic member indicating a mirror image of the character model on a surface of the gripping member, wherein putting the stamping face on the top face of the writing sheet enables a mark of the character model to be indicated on the top face of the writing sheet. In still other embodiment, the gripping member may be a polyhedron, and two or more side surfaces of the polyhedron may be provided for the stamping face. In yet other embodiment, the mark of the character model may be indicated by a solid line or dotted line thinner than a line written by the magnetic pen, or an outline which traces a periphery of the character model.